Core removing device



"July 14, 1931. J. HOURIGAN com: REMOVING DEVICE Filed Oct. :51, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' FIG.3.

J I awwwtoz July 14, 1931. J. HOURIGAN CORE REMOVING DEVICE Filed Oct. 31. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F'IG.S.

u w h 1 Patented July 14, 1931 UNITED "STATES TENT oFFIcE JOSEPH HOURIGAN, OF NEW KENSINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASS IGNOR TO ALUMINUM coMr-A Y or AMERICA, PENNSYLVANIA Application filed October 31, 1929.

This invention relates to the removal of 3 10 use presses, punches, hammers, or the like, by

means of which the force is exerted on either p the casting or the core, or on both, in such manner as to press out or withdraw the core from the casting cavlty. In cooperation "with such force exerting means there has also been employed cooling devices designed to cool the hot core and cause it to draw away from the metal surrounding it. p

Although the above core removing schemes have been found operable, they are very slow in operation and consequently are impractical where a large number of castings or ingots are being made. Moreover, such apparatus is bulky, and expensive both in initial construction and in upkeep, and requires during operation considerable expert supervision because of the great stresses exerted in the ingot, which sometimescrack the ingot or injure its workable properties.

It is anobject of this invention to provide a method of removing cores from' castings which is automatic in action and comprises a quick, single and continuous operation caused without the exertion of such excessive force as will produce serious strains or other faults in" the casting.- It is a further object of the invention to provide means for accomplishing core removal which are relatively inexpensive in construction and operation and readily operable by unskilled persons. i

Further and other objects and advantages will be apparent from the specification and claims, and from the drawings which by way of illustration show what is now considered the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 illustrates a top plan view of a circular billet mold having, a non-collapsible core centrally located therein.

OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF cone REMOVING nnvrcn Serial No. 403,704.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the cast billet and the core after removal of outer mold, in operative position on the core-.

extruding mechanism, which is also in crosssection.

Fig.4 is a sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is similar to F 3 but illustrates a modification of the apparatus shown in Fig. 6 is a cross-section on the 'line 6-6 of Fig. 5. i

In the drawings, 10 represents a mold consisting of two parts, made of iron or other suitable material, interconnected by a hinge 12 and adaptedto be held closed by the mold' latch 14. The mold is mounted upon a suitable base plate 16. In mold 10 when in the closed position is axially disposed, by means of the aligned cavity 18 in the block 16 and the centering lugs 20 which are attached to the hinged mold sections, a hollow core 22 whichis closed'atits upper end by means of the welded cap 24into which may be threaded an eye bolt 26. The hollow core'22 is proylded at itslower end with a cylindrical opening, the inner edge of which is beveled as shown at 28. i

The mold, core, and base plate are assembled as illustrated in F 1 and 2 and into the mold cavity so formed there is cast the metal which on solidification forms the ingot 30. After solidification has been completed, the hinged sections of the mold are swung apart by a manipulation of the latch 14- and the ingot and core are withdrawn by any suitabledevice, such as the cable 32, which may be attached to the eye bolt 26.

The core, with the ingot tightly adhering thereto, is then transferred to the core-removing mechanism, which in this embodiment of the invention consists of a conical sealing block 34 supported on a baseplate 36. Acentral boreis provided in 34- through which extends a pipe 38 connected through the wall of the block 34 to a main supply pipe 40 controlled by a quick acting valve 46, also communicates with the central bore. The core, which with its surrounding ingot is still at a high temperature, is seated upon the conical block with the beveled edge 28 of the core opening resting on the conical surface of the sealing block, thus forming, because of the weight of the core and ingot, a more or less perfect seal.

In operating the apparatus, the operator by means of the quick acting valve 42 allows a high pressure stream of water, or other fluid cooling means, to issue from the pipe 38 and impinge on the hot walls of the core cavity. The cooling action of the water on the core walls acts to contract the core and to draw it somewhat away from the ingot. Simultaneously there is generated, because of th high temperature of the core walls, a considerable amount of steam which quickly builds up a pressure in the core cavity sufiicient to lift the combined weight of the core and ingot upwardly and away from the sealing block, the degree of pressure exerted by the generated steam being controlled by a predetermined setting of the valve 46 in the drain pipe 44. The upward move1nent of the core and ingot away from the sealing block breaks the seal which is formed on the walls of the sealing block by the beveled edge 28, thereby exhausting the steam which has accumulated in the core cavity and by dissipating the pressure built up therein causing the core and ingot to fall with a sudden back into the original position. The further action of the water on the core cavity will again generate sufiicient steam pressure to remove the core and billet assembly from the sealing block so that the core and the billet are caused to alternately rise and fall with a pounding action which is of suflicient force to drive the billet free from the core. Throughout the operation the core is positively connected to an aligning means such as the hoist cable 32 and the quantity of water is preferably closely controlled by the quick acting valve 42. 1

When water is used as the cooling and pressure generating means the upper end of delivery pipe 38 is advantageously provided with a cap 48 which will atomize the liquid and distribute it evenly over the inner walls of the core. However, the cooling and pressure generating means may be a gas in which case such an atomizing device would be unnecessary. The main desidera-tum is that the cooling and pressure generating means, be it a gas, liquid, or similar fluid substance, should be quickly and more or less evenly distributed in rapid contact with the core walls. To accomplish this there may be utilized a foot valve by which the operator may shut 0E and reopen the delivery pipe as the ingot and core assembly rises and falls or automatic means may be used such as, for instance, the automatic-valve shown in Fig.

5, which comprises a valve 50, operated by an arm 52. To the arm 52 is attached a rod 54 which is slidingly engaged by the guides 56 attached to the inner wall of the sealing block 34. The upper end of rod 54 culminates preferably in a knob 58 which is engaged by a stop 60, shown in the form of a perforated annulus welded to the interior of the core shell 22, and so positioned as to exerta downward force on the rod 54 when the core is seated on the sealing block 34 thus opening the valve 50 and closing it only when the core has been raised from the sealing block as above described. A spring 62, surrounding rod 54 between knob 58 and guide 56, serves to close valve 50 when rod 54 rises.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment herein illustrated and described but may be used in other ways without departure from its spirit as defined by the following claims.

I claim 1. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a hollow core adapted to have a billet of metal cast therearound, means for cooling the interior of said core whereby it tends to shrink away from the billet, and means for simultaneously hammering said core to separate said core from said billet.

2. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a hollow core adapted to have a billet of metal cast therearound, means for spraying water on the inner Walls of said core whereby said core is cooled and tends to shrink away from the billet, and means for simultaneously hammering said core toseparate said core from said billet.

3. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a hollow core adapted to have a billet of metal cast therearound, means for spraying water on the inner walls of said core whereby the heat of said core turns the water into steam, and means operable by said steam for driving said'core from said billet.

4. The invention set forth in claim 3, in which means is provided for regulating the pressure of said steam.

5. In apparatus of the class described, in combination,a hollow core adapted to have a billet of metal cast therearound, means for spraying water on the inner walls of said core whereby the heat of said core turns the water into steam, and a support for said core and billet, said steam being eflective to raise said core and billet from said support, for the purpose set forth.

6. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a hollow core adapted to have a billet of metal cast therearound, means for spraying water on the inner walls of said core whereby the heat of. said core turns the water into steam, a support for said core and billet, said steam being effective to raise said core and billet from said. support, and means effective when said core is raised from said support for exhausting said steam from said core interior whereby said core is caused to drop back onto said support.

7. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, an annular core having open and closed ends and adapted to have a billet of metal cast around the cylindrical sides thereof, a conical block adapted to enter the open end of said core to seal said opening and support said core and billet, means for spraying water through said support into the interior of said core whereby the heat of said core converts the water into steam which raises said core out of contact with said support to exhaust the steam between said core and said support whereby said core drops back onto said support, for the purpose set forth.

8. The invention set forth in claim 7, in which automatic control means is provided for admitting additional water When said core drops back onto the support and for shutting off the water when the core is raised from the support.

9. In the method of removing a hot hollow core from a hot billet surrounding said core, the steps of cooling the interior of said core by a cooling medium sprayed thereinto, and simultaneously hammering said core whereby said core is driven out of said billet.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature. 7

JOSEPH HOURIGAN. 

